When I heard you tell a caller to “listen to your kids,” it struck a nerve with me. Children and spouses both love attention.
At the park today, a toddler was playing on the playground toys and wanted me to watch him go down the slide. I made a big show of telling him how brave he was and I repeated the same thing as he went down the slide again and again. He wanted someone to watch him and pay attention.
I also recently helped my teenage daughter prepare for the math section of the ACT college entrance exam. As a treat for her work, we went on a “daddy date” to get some ice cream. I had “daddy dates” with my older daughter too.
I teach high school, and I see this desire for attention all the time. It’s a challenge to engage every student every day, but I attempt to recognize something about everyone and make quick conversation during the class or in between periods. Often, when a student can’t get those positive “attentions,” they act out to get attention in other ways. When a wife pays attention to her man, he feels like a king, because he knows he is loved. When you pay attention to your children, they feel loved as well.
Wade
Pay Attention to Your Children